FATBMX Your Online BMX News Resource Since 1998

Cycling is a fantastic sport for all ages – whether it be the morning commute to work or a day out with the kids on the weekend, everyone can find some fun. It not only offers a great workout for all fitness levels but also provides for a greener and more economical choice.

Ohio
The state of Ohio now has more bicycle route miles than any other state, boasting a total of 1,523 miles. Sport is a pretty big thing in Ohio, especially considering the recent success of the Cincinnati Bengals winning their first playoffs and the Cleveland Cavaliers smashing their preseason win.

For you sports fans, it’s an exciting time since the legalization of sports betting across the state, as you can not only watch your favorite team or event but also place a wager. It’s advised to visit a reputable online comparison site, such as a Caesars Sportsbook promo code in Ohio, where you can look up relevant information.

The comparison site will provide information on the best sportsbooks, their great promotions and perks. However, to get in on the real action, why not establish your own workout through the state of Ohio along the 1,500+ miles of cycling routes. Did you know that the goal of the US Bicycle Route System is to have 50,000 miles across the country?

The top 5
The best cities for cycling have implemented transit systems and paths that aid cyclists to move freely and safely from one destination to the next. A vibrant, bike-riding culture is emerging in these cities and is spreading across the US as a whole.

Seattle, Washington
This is a metropolis of around 750,000 people, with one of the best public transit systems in the US, which enables cyclists to move around the city with their bikes from one stop to another. There are approximately 7,000 bikes available for hire across the city.

Fort Collins, Colorado
The city offers around 280 miles of purpose-built bicycle lanes, which have been designed to enable cyclists to move through the city with ease. There are under and overpasses at the majority of main intersections, with cyclists seldom having to share space with automobiles.

Portland, Oregon
As one of the biggest cities in the US, with a population of around 640,000 people, the Rose City has been hailed one of the greatest bike cities in the US. It offers a bike-share initiative for individuals with disabilities, one of the best public bike rental systems and over 385 miles of bicycle routes.

Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis boasts 98 miles of bike lanes and 101 miles of off-street cycle paths and trails, plus a further 16 miles of on-street, protected bikeways. Green spaces are connected with miles of bike-friendly paths and the city has implemented a streets policy that prioritizes pedestrians and cyclists over buses and cars.

Boulder, Colorado
With over 300 miles of bike lanes, Boulder in Colorado is one of the most bike-friendly cities in the US. Development continues to make this a greener city with connected multi-use pathways for smoother bike routes, and raised bike lanes and sidewalks for safety.

Summary
If it’s a ride in the park or a family day out that you’re after, head down to the bike store, kit yourselves out and enjoy the scenic bike routes these US bike-friendly cities have to offer.

Let me start this by saying it was great to see the passion for BMX that several people in Bogotá showed. BMX truly is a worldwide activity and with 10 BMX shops in town, Bogota is certainly a big part of it. Once again Sebastian and Esteban Palencia picked me up to show more of what the city had to offer. We first visited a sports facility with indoor pool, soccer fields, basketball courts and 3! skateparks. It was 'skateboard day' meaning no bikes were allowed. But on BMX day, no skateboarding is allowed. This way the parks see good activity. In other parts of town the NO BMX day corresponds with a YES BMX day so it is possible to ride different parks during the week. The three concrete parks had something to offer for everyone. A pool section, one with two box jumps and another one with smaller ramps. If you would take a few elements of all three it would be an amazing place for a Park

Feel Better While Traveling: What to Eat at an Airport
While waiting for your flight, you always want something to eat. Even when you're too engaged in a conversation or a game with a blackjack games online, once you get hungry. Fast-food restaurants and vending machines with unhealthy snacks are usually the answer, while fresh bars are less common. The latter option seems to be the healthiest. But in any case there is a chance to run into a low-quality product. What to pay attention to when choosing dishes at the airport, so as not to harm your figure and health?

While traveling, keeping track of the quality of food is not easy. And it's not just because your thoughts are mostly occupied with the trip itself. The problem is something else - finding options for healthy eating at airports is quite difficult. You have to settle for either nothing or fast food restaurants, simply put, fast food. Both options are so-so. How to maintain a conscious approach to eating away from home?
Bring a Healthy Snack With You
Take fresh fruits and vegetables from home, such as a banana. The product is rich in potassium, which normalizes blood pressure, helps alleviate muscle cramps during a flight and restores water-alkaline

The Freestyle Park Ticino (IG @freestyleparkticino) is a BMX Park located in the southern (Italian) part of Switzerland, in Cadenazzo (Canton Ticino). The beautiful landscape in the background makes it a perfect choise if you want to take a breath of fresh air but also some air time with your bike. Thanks to the olympic size of the ramps, back in October ’19 we hosted the first ever European Championships, and some big names took part at the event (included 2 olympic medalist). The owner of the Park, Stisa SA, gave the keys of the park to Simon Yacoub (IG @simonyacoub), architect, BMX rider and manager of the park and vice president of the “Associazione Freestyle Park Ticino” as he takes care of the Park and make sure to promote the sport and events in the region.

This past weekend, with the collaboration of the Swiss federation (Swiss Cycling), the Swiss Championships 2021 were held. Some riders from all over Switzerland took part of the event and the friendly vibes (typical of this region) made the day one for the books! Riders and public were stoked and the whole day there were nothing but big smiles!

Seeing the rise of some very young talented riders in the past few years, Alessio Tonoli and Alex Sideris to name some, Switzerland put itself in the worldwide panorama, and thanks to the freshly olympic bronze medalist Nikita Ducarroz, we re-confirmed our spot. Now that the public attention is there, we should involve federations, governments, politics to make sure that all this is not just hype but a possibility for a substantial growth over the next few years. With the right help and financial support I believe we can make these young talents take part of big events on the international circuit (if they want). How? we need to sit down and talk about it. By putting out a detailed program, by looking out for sponsors, by involving private people who believe in the project, by involving the National Youth Sport Center (for example the one in Tenero, next to the Park in Cadenazzo), and so on… Possibilities are out there.

Even though Switzerland is still relatively small in the worldwide BMX scene, now we have the structures and we need to take advantage of them by making sure that there is no limitation in the use (making it open for everybody - not only athletes- and not overcharging the entrance fee) and that somebody passioned take care of them (by riders, for riders).

Everyone knows how it works if we want to see kids progress, if we want that further generations of BMXers continue to ride BMX, it only works if we keep the flame alive. This works only by creating events, by keeping kids stoked, by offering them services (BMX courses) that allows to grow in a friendly and fun environment. By supporting them.

Hopefully I will, with the same passion and with the help of others as we did for this last event, organize official events but not only. It’s good to remember that BMX is not only about competition but also jams, chilled sessions and sometimes just hanging out and talk about life in general… “collaboration over competition” is my motto at the moment, because we don’t need to crumble an already jagged reality.

Words by Simon Yacoub

What made the Double Triple course so special? In BMX we have many creative minds. Some of them design parks for everyone to enjoy. When it comes down to event parks there's always a struggle when it needs to be used by skateboarders and BMX riders at the same time. Then there's the question of transition, flat banks and/or rails. It's impossible to please everyone.

The set-up at the Double Triple in Kiev, Ukraine was amazing in many ways. A special Airport them was introduced giving the course designer something to work with. Next to the field of play with items such as a luggage belt, bus stop, and metal detector, the surrounding elements made it an incredible experience. A Departure/Arrival wall was created, an entire terminal was built including an air traffic control tower and panorama deck. Red Bull wind socks were up on both sides and an airplane was parked right in front of the park. The buzzer was the sound of an airplane, the staff passes resembled airport staff access passes and flight attendants were supplying food and drinks all day long. Well that last one was a lie, no "chicken or pasta" was offered by stewardesses in suits but you get the picture that the course looked amazing.

More to come? Why not. The special theme sure added to the event.

Boarding now.

-Bart

Sometimes we take our BMX expertise for granted. What seems logical to us doesn't necessarily make sense to others. It's actually where we need to step in to solve issues that can benefit the BMX scene. Case in point, the miniramp that once was set up in Mariahout. For whatever reason this ramp was taken to the municipal yard and replaced by some really dump street obstacles, 'from the catalog', a waste of money but that's a different story.

At this point we need that miniramp back so it can be used by everyone. There's no use for it at the moment sitting at the yard collecting dust. To show the interest in the ramp Tom van den Bogaard has created a petition that we would like everyone to sign.

The plan is to place the miniramp next to the existing mini in Aarle-Rixtel so a bigger ramp is created for more variety and fun for everyone. If you could take a moment to sign the petition below we'd appreciated it.

Having a ramp in operational condition is better than having a dismantled ramp sitting in storage. Thanks for the support.

Sign here!

In recent months Velosolutions Benelux, in coöperation with Velosolutions Belgium, built 9 PumpTracks in the Netherlands & Belgium. And, at the moment, another 3 realizations are definitely planned. Our mission? To make PumpTrack accessible in every village or city in Belgium, The Netherlands and Luxembourg so you are able to play, exercise and do urban sports together!

- Eindhoven
- Den Haag
- Maurik-Vakantiepark Eiland van Maurik
- Gasselte-Vakantiepark Lente van Drenthe
- Domburg
- Heeze - Leende
- Brussel

The new Bike Park in Darmstadt (Germany) is INSANE! Check out Felix Prangenberg, Tobias Freigang, Dean Florian, Tom Schorb-Mergenthaler and Kim Lea Müller getting in a few laps before the official opening.

Meet Kenneth Tencio, the BMX champion who has invited us into his incredible home set-up in Costa Rica! When Kenneth Tencio first took up the BMX there were very few facilities where he could practice, but that hasn’t stopped the Costa Rican from carving out a successful career. Still residing in his home country, in the city of Jacó, Tencio has ensured he doesn’t have to travel far to train. That’s thanks to his backyard boasting ramps, jumps and even his very own bowl. Here is all you need to know:

- While most BMX riders specialise in one discipline, Tencio has always been known for his versatility, regularly training in park, dirt and street.

Meet Kenneth Tencio, the BMX champion who has invited us into his incredible home set-up in Costa Rica!